January
19, 2007 -- Saint John, NB Local 771 set a new record for fundraising in a
single day in the Atlantic region for the Salvation Army’s Christmas Red Kettle
Drive. Local 771 members raised $17,150 to ensure that more than 800 families in
the Saint John area had a Christmas dinner.

“We can’t be more pleased with the success of this program – our
sixth year doing it,” says Doug Trentowsky, Local 771 member and event
organizer. “It’s hard to believe that much money could be raised in just one
day.”

More than 80 Local 771 fire fighters helped work the kettles at
12 locations throughout Saint John.

Local 771 held its first kettle drive in 2001, raising $10,300.
The kettle drive began in 1891 when a Salvation Army captain in San Francisco
became determined to provide a free Christmas dinner for the community’s poor.
To pay for the food, he put a large pot outside at a ferry landing in a spot
where those using the ferry boats could easily see it. Today, the program is
conducted worldwide.